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Listen to Paul Hewitt on Mike & Mike ESPN radio

Paul Hewitt was on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike show this morning talking about the one and done rules regarding the NCAA and NBA. The well-spoken Hewitt gives a strong argument addressing some of the comments Jeff Van Gundy made. His conversation starts at about the 5 min mark:

I listen to this show almost every day so it was cool to hear them talking to our coach. Hewitt sounded good and made a couple excellent recommendations. I hope the next time it’s on he is on to discuss our teams success.

Who cares Gamoo. That’s them and we’re us. But yes new Logos are in order here at Fairfax.

GaMoo79

Make that logos, plural. And building a new practice facility.

Daniel Wu

Well that is kind of what happens when a school decides to fully embrace and capitalize on the catalyst the final four can provide. If Mason had capitalize on thier final four run, Mason could have changed thier logo and dominated the CAA. If Mason had dominated the CAA, VCU probably would have never gotten thier final four run chance in 2011.

GMUPATS74

That’s really water under the bridge now Daniel.

Daniel Wu

Yeah I know. Could have…should have….
VCU capitalized, GMU did not. Yeah you’re right- what’s happened has happened. My rant is mostly coming from the frustration that this team did not meet the expectations fans predicted.

GMUPATS74

Sure thing. Right after making it to the Final Four we could’ve taken the next step but you’d have to question Merten and O’Connor for not doing so; their priorities were elsewhere. I get the feeling O’Connor is very frugal. Proof of our scoreboard says it all and his overall commitment to the entire athletic department instead of focusing on our flagship sport-Basketball which brings the most publicity and funds.
So in a nutshell we had two old men resting on their laurels when we needed proactive athletic leadership to keep the torch burning.

GaMoo79

Youre probably right 74, but I always thought Merton was a huge fan. Always in the stands, etc.

dsnjd1

You are neglecting history when you suggest that VCU,( I prefer their former name, RPI …The Richmond Professional Institute…I believe) did everything right when the offered Shaka big dollars to remain at RPI while Mason didn’t. Its not that simple. RPI had lost two coaches to BCS programs in recent years……first Jeff Capel was lured to Oklahoma for big football school dollars, which “RPI” did not match…..second Alan Grant was similarly lured to Alabama with a similar package backed by “Football School Petro-Dollars”…. before Shaka, no “Mid-Major” school would pay that kind of money to retain a coach.. (Note the Capel was fired after last season, and now is back at Duke as an assistant under Coach K, and Alan Grant more than likely will be fired in the near future). Our “In-state buddies at RPI” learned from their, prior mistakes, and facing Shaka going to UCLA (or a number of other interested schools) broke the bank and offered Shaka an unheard of amount to remain at “RPI” . (This of course angered Larranaga, who was not similarly compensated after HIS Final Four ….I need not go into what has transpired since then) Shaka has taken the risk in this situation, he got big bucks at VCU but in doing so he needs to keep winning to keep his position as the “Golden Boy” of coaching (Since abdicated by Butler’s coach…Brad Stevens?… when he left for the Celtics.) I’m hoping that Shaka will soon realize that the “getting is good” and leave VCU soon. That is the only way that Mason will beat VCU, I’m afraid. But, I fear that it won’t happen anytime soon. Hewitt is an articulate representative for Mason, but he is not half the coach that Shaka is. Do you think that Cabrerra (sic), with his business background, would have been as cheap as Merten and let Larranaga walk?

StopWearingPurple

I just had a 1988 flashback. Unknown Rick Barnes coaches us to 20 wins and is immediately hired away by Providence in the Big East.

dsnjd1

A little history on Rick Barnes: Barnes was pegged as a future coaching superstar while on Joe Harrington’s staff at GMU, before departing for Ohio State and the Big Ten as an assistant, only was lured back to Mason to take over the program when Harrington went to Long Beach State (which was THEN considered a much better job than Mason….boy the Mason program has progressed). Was tabbed as a potential “coaching superstar” then, as he left Mason after only one season, to go to Providence of the Big East, and then Clemson of the ACC (Where he has a famous face to face shouting match with Dean Smith), and then off to Texas, where he made the Final Four and makes Big Bucks as one of the highest paid coaches in the nation.

GMUPATS74

RPI is an engineering school up in NYC. Better to just call em VCU so as not to confuse people.

dsnjd1

Agreed…..my post was “tounge” in cheek in form…..while “totally serious” in substance,

GMUPATS74

I respect that dsnjd1.

GaMoo79

One more thing…since i’m ranting. Wouldn’t it be nice IF Mason has any plans in the works for new exciting things for TOC to let us know. You know, something like “dont worry fans, just wait to see what we’re about to roll out!” Sigh.